Archbishop Casmoussa - who was appointed leader of Mosul's Syrian Catholic community six years ago - was seized by gunmen at about 1700 local time (1400 GMT) as he was about to enter his car, a local priest told the AFP news agency.

The kidnappers forced him into the trunk of their vehicle before speeding away, he said.

There have been a number of recent attacks on Iraq's Christian minority.

Two churches were bombed in Mosul in December.

Hotbed

Christians make up some 3% of Iraq's population of about 25 million.

The Syrian Catholic church belongs to the Eastern rite of Catholicism.

It is one of a number of semi-autonomous Catholic churches in the Middle East, which pledge allegiance to the Pope in Rome but enjoy a degree of independence in their religious rites.

The abduction comes despite reinforced security in Mosul, where US and Iraqi forces have been trying to tackle rebels who have vowed to disrupt the election.

Mosul is a hotbed of insurgent activity where numerous people accused of collaborating with the Americans have been abducted and killed, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad.

Although there have been a number of attacks on Christian targets, Iraqi security forces have been the focus attacks by mainly Sunni Muslim insurgents trying to derail the election.